


Fantasia

by Akiko_Natsuko



Series: Fraxus [1]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Confessions, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fantasia, Friendship/Love, Goodbyes, Guilt, Hurt, M/M, Memories, Separations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-08-20 21:05:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16563113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: It was hope that had taken Freed up to their special rooftop, to the place where Laxus had first confessed to him. Hope that he would get more of a farewell than the goodbyes said from behind masks earlier in the day.





	Fantasia

    The Fantasia Parade was over, but the evening still had a long way to go as Magnolia came alive in a way that it rarely did. The streets were packed with stalls to tempt the Fantasia goers with food, trinkets and games, bright lights strung from building to building giving the whole town a warm glow as people wandered lazily around the streets. This would go on for a few hours yet, townspeople, visitors and the guild mingling and enjoying themselves, and this year there was an extra edge of celebration now that the antics with the Battle of Fairy Tail were over. Eventually, the evening would culminate in a massive fireworks display organized by the town council, although normally Fairy Tail would contribute either normal fireworks or magical ones to help finish the evening in style.

    Freed had missed the last couple of Fantasias because of travelling with Laxus and the rest of the Raijinshuu, and he knew that despite everything that had happened Evergreen and Bickslow had slipped away to enjoy the evening and part of him wished that he could do the same. The three of them had been given a second chance with the guild, and he knew that he should be making the most of this magical day to start that second chance, but he couldn’t bring himself to give into the temptation. He couldn’t let himself enjoy Fantasia when the one person he wanted most to be there, the one person that he knew still carried fond memories of Fantasias past even if he denied it, wasn’t there.

_Laxus…_

   His hands clenched at the thought that the Dragon-slayer had been forced to walk away from all of this. Oh, he had acted the part of the Captain earlier, accepting Laxus’ decision to take all of the punishment on himself and to heed the fact that he had been exiled by Makarov. He’d even managed a small smile as they’d waved the blond off. Evergreen and Bickslow had turned on him the moment Laxus had gone, demanding to know what he was doing and how he could be so calm about it and he had brushed it off, pointing out that it was Laxus’s decision and that they had to honour that. what he hadn’t told them, and what he hadn’t let them see was the fact that he was falling apart inside at the mere thought of what he had agreed to. Breaking at the thought that it could be months if not longer until he saw Laxus again, and that the awkward meeting in the park was the only farewell they were going to get.

    It was that last thought that had led him here, up to the rooftop of the town library that offered a magnificent few of the Fantasia celebrations in the streets below. It was this rooftop that they had used in the past to watch fireworks both for Fantasia and the Autumn and Winter festivals, or when they had wanted to spend a quiet night together under the stars, although all of that had become incredibly scarce the last few years. Still, it was a precious place to them both, and a little bit of the weight had lifted from his heart just from being here, although there was a sense of nostalgia as he glanced at the scorch mark beneath his feet…

_They were coming up on the Autumn Festival, and whilst Freed had really wanted to go, he could see that Laxus wasn’t as keen although he was doing his best to hide that fact for the Rune mage’s sake. To save him the bother, Freed had suggested that they spend the evening up in their private sanctuary, that way they could enjoy the sights of the festival without dealing with the people, and they would have the best seats in the house to watch the Fireworks. He’d been over the moon when the Dragon-slayer had willingly agreed to that plan, and he’d dared to let himself hope that maybe the evening was going to be spent as more than friends when Laxus had awkwardly asked if it could just be the two of them and not the whole team._

_However, there hadn’t been any difference in the way Laxus was acting around him that afternoon, and there was still the normal level of distance between them when they had settled on the rooftop for the evening, and Freed had carefully hidden his disappointment behind a soft smile. It was an old sting by now and easily masked as he had decided a long time ago that he would rather have Laxus as a friend than risk losing it all._

_He had been oblivious to the nervous looks the Dragon-slayer was shooting him whenever he was distracted, or the awkward fumbling attempts to start a conversation which always descended into random discussions about their next job, their teammates and everything but the thing that Laxus had actually been trying to say._

_That had lasted until the start of the fireworks. Freed had risen to his feet to stand at the edge of the roof so that he could stare up at the Fireworks with shimmering eyes. He had always loved fireworks ever since he was a child and there had been a time when he had been disappointed when he didn’t have a magic that allowed him to make fireworks like Natsu and the others did. It was part of the reason he loved Lightning and Laxus’ magic as well, because there was just something about the sight of that kind of lights illuminating the air that drew him in. For once he was unaware of the fact that Laxus had moved as well, at least until the Dragon-slayer had grabbed him suddenly, turning him until they were facing one another and gazing down at him with glittering eyes._

_There was no wordy confession, that was not Laxus’s style. Instead, Freed’s eyes had widened in stunned disbelief as the Dragon-slayer had closed the distance between them, slowly as though giving him the chance to escape if he had wanted. Escape had been the furthest thought from his mind though, in fact, there hadn’t been any thoughts at all as warm lips had captured his. It was everything that he had imagined and then some, and he closed his eyes as he pressed closer, terrified that this would turn out to be a dream…._

    Freed smiled faintly at that memory, reaching up to brush his fingers across his lips, the sensation of that kiss as close as though it had just happened. It had been a perfect way to discover that the feelings he had harboured for so long were fully returned, although Laxus who had been fairly calm up until that point had become a frantic, rambling mess in the immediate aftermath and that was why the ground beneath Freed was now scorched. Freed had forgotten his usual restraint for a moment, throwing his arms around the taller teen and kissing him fiercely, and Laxus’s magic had run wild, harmless to Freed but charring the ground beneath their feet as a permanent memento of that moment.

“Happy memories?”

    The Rune mage froze at the soft voice, his breath catching in his throat. He had come up here, to their special place in the hopes that maybe just maybe the Dragon-slayer hadn’t left yet, but he hadn’t truly let himself believe that he would be that lucky, terrified of the pain that would come if he was wrong. He knew that voice, knew it better than he knew his own, but he still couldn’t convince his body to move or to turn, terrified that his ears might be deceiving him. _Laxus…_ He wanted to turn, knowing that if it really was the older man, then he wouldn’t be here for long and that he was wasting precious minutes by not turning around, but he just couldn’t move.

“Freed…” His name was barely a whisper of sound in his ear as warm arms snaked around him from behind, very warm - very real arms. Finally, he could breathe again, the air coming out in a soft sob as he whirled around still in the circle of those arms and buried his face against the strong chest, mindful of the bandages still covering the older man. Apparently, that wasn’t what Laxus had wanted because Freed found himself being pulled closer, and there were tears on his cheeks as he finally managed to get his voice to work.

“I wasn’t sure that you would come…” It felt silly now that he had said it aloud after all, Laxus had never let him down before, and he expected the older man to sigh or sound hurt by his words, but instead, he froze as a gentle kiss was pressed to the top of his head.

“I nearly didn’t.”

“Laxus?” Freed pulled back at that quiet admission, a dull ache in his chest as he peered up at the older man. _He nearly didn’t? He didn’t want to see me?_ Something of what he was thinking must’ve shown on his face, because Laxus sighed, a conflicted expression on his face for a moment before he released Freed in favour of reaching up to cup the Rune mage’s face with both hands.

“I thought it might make things harder for you,” Laxus whispered softly, leaning in to tenderly capture Freed’s lips and Freed felt the dull ache ease a little, even as he shook his head as they parted, closing the distance between them as he hugged the Dragon-slayer tightly, pressing as close as he dared so that he could hear how Laxus’s heart was hammering in his chest. “Freed?”

“I want as many memories with you as possible,” he whispered, knowing that nothing had changed since earlier. That he e still had no right to stop Laxus from leaving, and as much as he might want to go with the Dragon-slayer, he knew that wasn’t what either of them needed right now. _I know that and yet…_ And yet the thought of being left behind hurt far more than anything he had endured so far, and fresh tears rolled down his cheeks as he clutched at the Dragon-slayer. “I know…I know that you have to go, and I know that I can’t go with you, but…but I wish…” _I wish that I could._

“I know,” Laxus cut him off softly, his voice thick with emotion and his hands gentle as he played with the ends of Freed’s hair as he added quietly. “I wish things could be different too.” Freed looked up at that, hearing the guilt and anguish behind the words and his breath caught at the sight of the emotions shimmering in blue eyes.  “I’m sorry, Freed. I’m sorry that by stupidity got us into this mess, and I’m sorry that you’re the one that’s having to pay the price.”

“Laxus…”

    Gently the Dragon-slayer pushed him away, his face twisted into an expression of regret and anguish, a complete reversal of the calm acceptance he had shown earlier in the park and Freed realised that he wasn’t the only one who had been wearing a mask back then. However, what hurts the most was the sight of the tears in the blue eyes as Laxus reached out and gently brushed away the tears on Freed’s cheeks, his fingers trembling slightly and they both shared an anguished glance as Freed instinctively leant into the gentle touch. This was the Laxus he knew. The Laxus he loved, and the Laxus that he had been willing to follow into hell itself if that was what was needed he was about to watch him walk away for goodness knows how long.

_I can’t let him go…_

“I shouldn’t have come,” Laxus whispered catching the shift in his expression, and Freed lowered his eyes in shame as he realised that he was unintentionally making it harder for the older man, but it felt like he had lost control of his feelings for the time being. “This is making it worse for both of us. I’m sorry.” There was a feathery kiss on his cheek, and then Laxus was turning away and Freed leapt forward in a panic, grabbing hold of the Dragon-slayer’s hand in desperation, his voice cracking.

“S-stay.”

“Freed….”

“Just…” Freed swallowed thickly, knowing that there was no way of stopping this. Knowing hat Laxus was going to go through with his decision, and that he was going to have to stick with his choice to stay with the Raijinshuu and Fairy Tail. _But just a little while longer…_ Yes, it hurt to have this time together and to know that it was running out, but he wanted to eke out every second he could with the blond, and with difficulty he got his voice to work once more. “Just until the end of Fantasia?” Laxus had paused now and was looking at him with conflicted eyes, and Freed could tell that he was wavering. “Please…”

    With a shuddering sigh, Laxus turned back to him, sweeping him back into a crushing hug for a moment, before pulling back so that he could kiss him softly, resting his head against Freed’s as he whispered his agreement just as the first firework illuminated the sky above them.

“Just until the end of Fantasia.”


End file.
